A Tribute to Parents, Past and Present

“Thank you for paying my school fees.”

Those were the words from the tiny voice of my 7-year-old daughter. It was just a sentence, but it melted me to the core. I smiled at her and said, “It’s my duty to take care of you.”

But for the rest of the day, her words echoed in my mind.

Because suddenly, I began to reflect: Did I ever truly thank my parents enough? Did I ever give them the credit they deserved for the sacrifices they made?

Growing up, many of us thought school fees, new uniforms, textbooks, and packed lunches were just normal. We assumed it was simply “their duty.” But now that the tables have turned, now that we are parents staring at bills, navigating responsibilities, and carrying the weight of our children’s future on our shoulders, we finally understand.

And with that understanding comes a deep humility: our parents deserve far more credit than we ever gave them.

To Our Aged Parents

You may not have been perfect. You may have had shortcomings. We may not have always agreed. But here is the truth: you carried burdens in silence.

You endured nights without sleep. You worked jobs that drained you. You wore clothes until they faded so we could wear something new. You gave us opportunities you yourself never enjoyed.

And perhaps you never heard it enough when we were younger, so let me say it now…

THANK YOU.

Thank you for every hidden sacrifice. Thank you for the silent prayers. Thank you for carrying more than your fair share so we could have a chance at life.

May your latter years be filled with peace, joy, and rest. May you reap a harvest greater than every seed you sowed in tears. May you never walk alone in your old age, and may your legacy outlive you.

To Parents in This Season

I see you.

I see the fathers working long hours, battling traffic, and pushing through exhaustion just to ensure their children have fees paid and meals secured.

I see the mothers managing households, stretching every naira, breaking their backs and sometimes their hearts, just to give their children the best they can.

Parenting in this season is not easy. It demands more than money; it demands heart, grit, and endless sacrifice. Yet, you keep going. You fight to give your children a life you didn’t have. You carry weights no one claps for. You trade comfort today so they can have a better tomorrow.

To you, I pray:

• May God strengthen you when you feel weary.
• May He provide resources beyond your imagination.
• May you never know shame.
• May your sacrifices never go unnoticed.
• May your children rise and call you blessed.

As a New School Session Begins

Let this season be more than just paying bills and packing lunches. Let it be a reminder:

• To call your parents if they’re still alive and say, “Thank you. I see you now.”
• To honor them, even if you don’t always agree with them.
• To appreciate yourself if you are a parent today, because what you’re doing is holy work.

Parenting is not easy. It is love in its rawest form, sometimes exhausting, sometimes overwhelming, but always worth it.

So today, I honor parents past and present. The ones who came before us, and the ones walking this road now.

To our aged parents: may your days be long and sweet.
To today’s parents: may your hands never grow weak.

And to every child, young or old, never forget to say, “Thank you.” Sometimes, those two words are the only gift our parents long to hear.

💙 From my heart,
JF